Teen Book Reviews

Brought to readers as the #1 New York Times Bestseller book by Adam Silvera, a tiny glance of the genius title and its illustrative cover leaves readers wondering. “Never judge a book by its cover” they say. But doesn’t the cover define the book? Doesn’t the cover give us an insight on to what the author is feeling? “A bold, lovely, and haunting story of loss, hope, and the redeeming power of friendship” -Lauren Oliver writes on the cover. A tragedy in fact. Silvera’s catching title uncovers a world in which a calling service called the “Death-Cast” calls people 24 hours before they die. On September 5, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio. With totally different reactions, emotions, and experiences, Mateo and Rufus greet each other on their End Day through an app called the Last Friend. Now, the two strangers spend their final hours together on an epic adventure through their city to live up their last day without any regrets.

I immediately noticed this book through its title. I thought to myself, “Who would give a book such a depressing title?!” I mean it’s certainly unique?! I enjoyed hearing different perspectives and stories throughout the book. The switching of characters throughout the chapters was really interesting. The author shows how much death affects people. The death of a loved one affects every relationship the deceased had in their life. Silvera did a very good job at demonstrating that. The book was very predictable but a heartfelt story. I can relate to Rufus’s friends Malcolm and Tagoe who so desperately want their friend to be okay. This book was one of the best tragedies I have read this year, and I hope to see more books like it.

The Winter Soldier: Cold Front is a YA novel that focuses on Bucky Barnes' life before and after WW2. What I like most about this book is that it goes back to the comic book origins of the winter soldier. One thing I disliked about the book is how he and Steve Rogers met. This is an intriguing story that combines Bucky's past and his future. My review grade on The Winter Soldier: Cold Front is a solid 7.

In this prologue and upbringing of one of Disney’s greatest villains, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hafsah Faizal envisions his childhood. When Jafar and his brother Rohan were young, their mother told stories about a golden scarab and a magical lamp. As time goes on, Jafar’s protection over his younger brother, Rohan, is shadowed by his parents untimely deaths, the siblings resort to thievery and mischief. Jafar’s longing for the House of Wisdom sets the two on a journey to the city of Maghriz. The brother’s are trapped in a game of power by Maghriz’s Sultana. As Jafar’s ambition grows more and more, brotherhood steps out of the picture. Will Jafar corrupt himself for a position of power or will he give it up for his brother’s sake? Faizal’s book “The Wishless Ones” shows what steps it took for Jafar to become Agrabah’s royal vizier in a suspenseful, thrilling, wicked tale.

This book is both excellent and engaging. I personally picked this book because of “Aladdin” being one of my childhood favorite movies. I enjoy how this book captures ideas said in the movie. The book shows you that Aladdin is not the only way romance ends. In this book, you will find that Jafar’s experience with romance differs from the one you see with Jasmine and Aladdin. Anyone, Disney enthusiast or not, will love the story and plot of this book. However, the book lacked some important details that could have changed and adapted more like the story with Iago, Jafar’s pet parrot. I loved how the description of characters and their emotions played out; I thought it was very powerful, her descriptions. I can relate to Rohan who finds himself calmer in the shadow of someone else. This book was amazingly written so that you can understand Jafar’s actions in the popular Disney film.

The Fever Code is a fictional YA dystopian book and is one of the prequel books to The Maze Runner series. It provides context on the character's decisions and choices later on in the original series in a comprehensive and intriguing way. This book is one of my personal favorites because of one character named Thomas. The Fever Code shows his journey to the man he becomes later on in the books; a man who would do anything to save his friends and figure out the truth. My review grade on The Fever Code is a solid 9.

In “The Darkest Minds”, the first book in the Darkest Minds trilogy, a disease called Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration (IAAN) has killed 98% of the population aged 18 and under. Those that survive the disease obtain powers, each classified by a color. These surviving children are put in camps to help “rehabilitate” them. The main character, Ruby, is an Orange hiding as a Green. However, when she gets the opportunity to escape from her camp, she finds herself on the run across the country with other kids like her. With everyone after them, will they be able to stay safe, or will Ruby and the others get sent back to their camps?

This book is an exciting story with relatable characters. It’s full of action while still discussing themes such as the darkness of human nature, and what people will do to survive. Bracken weaves a wonderful story where the characters feel like your friends and the world is similar enough that it is easily relatable. Several times throughout this book, I found myself thinking of what I would do in this situation, or of what it would feel like.

The movie adaptation of this book was similar and followed the same general plot. While several events differed, it was very similar. Still, I would recommend reading the book first so you can understand the depth of the plot line and the characters, as the movie is unable to show this to the same extent.

Calling all word nerds! If you love learning about the wonderful world of words, then Ursula Dubosarsky’s “The Word Snoop” will tickle your fancy. Find new fun in the English language as the Word Snoop and you navigate the history of the English language, the origin of the alphabet, and all the exciting and obscure ways that you can play with both! Surprise and intrigue await as you explore rebuses, mondegreens, Spoonerisms, and more. Plus, crack some cool codes along the way! Whether you are excited by confusingly simple oxymorons and find an awesomely good tautology delightful, or just forgot the difference between a anagram and a pangram, “The Word Snoop” is sure to be a great read.

This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. Dubosarsky’s fun and educational style of writing is both easy and entertaining to read. Paired with illustrator Tohby Riddle’s humorous cartoons, this book is hard not to like. As a writer and grammarian, I simply loved the experience that this book offered. I’ve never had so much fun learning about something I thought I already knew! It’s definitely worth a read.

Avery Grambs is used to barely scraping by: with her mom dead, her dad nowhere to be found, and her half-sister's abusive boyfriend moving into their small apartment, Avery spends her days living inside her car and can only dream of a stable and financially secure future. That is - until she gets summoned to the will-reading of the late businessman Tobias Hawthorne (who also happens to be filthy rich)...and finds out that he left her almost all of his assets under a certain condition: she must live in the enormous Hawthorne estate for at least a year to inherit.

For her, it should be a perfect turn of luck: she'll never have to be worried about money ever again, right? But Avery is just as confused as the family. She's never met Tobias Hawthorne and has no familial connections with him that she knows of. Furthermore, the Hawthorne family are obviously not very pleased with a complete stranger inheriting what should have been rightfully theirs: Tobias' daughters firmly believe Avery is a con woman, and their hypercompetitive sons - Grayson, Jameson, Xander, and Nash - see her as an obstacle, a puzzle to solve. But as cryptic messages behind Tobias' will reveal themselves, Avery finds out that her inheritance is indeed part of a game, engineered by the puzzle-obsessed businessman, and she becomes entangled into the Hawthornes' complex family drama as she discovers secret passageways and compartments, as well as the secrets kept by the Hawthorne boys, unraveling truths of stories better left untold that could destroy the family - and Avery herself.

I will be honest, this novel felt extremely messy, and I had a very hard time describing the plot to other people asking about the book who haven't read it already. However, The Inheritance Games does have its merits. Barnes does a good job at giving her book emotional output: there were moments in the story where I genuinely felt pity for what some of the characters have gone through, and I feel especially sorry for the two prospective love interests, Jameson and Grayson. The intricate family drama was a bit excessive and made the novel feel like an on-paper-rendition of a soap opera, but it was intriguing, and I felt engrossed in it (although I really hope they find a way to resolve it somehow). The storyline itself, although it had its golden moments, moved along way too slowly for me and never seemed to get anywhere: the book spans 91 chapters, and by chapter 60, I was wondering when it would end - or if it would ever end, for that matter. The ending as well was incredibly unsatisfying: most of the questions posed about Avery's inheritance at the beginning of the book were either not answered at all or very vaguely addressed, and the cliffhanger only infuriated me more. I do understand that this book is the first in a series, which would explain the cliffhanger, but I felt so tired out from the plot that I considered not reading the rest of the books. There were also not as many puzzles as the plot promised, which disappointed me, and the story was mainly focused on the family drama as well as Avery's strange relationship with Grayson and Jameson (which isn't a completely bad thing, but I started this book thinking there would be more puzzles, and the few that were in the plot were only okay, not brilliant).

As for the characters, I honestly found Avery to be a slightly dislikeable main character: she was as much of a mess as the Hawthorne brothers were, and at times she was honestly kind of stupid. I did enjoy Xander and Nash. Xander was such a funny, lively character, and his obsession with robots and mechanics made him even more endearing. And Nash, unlike most of his family, was actually level-headed and calm, and I respected him for his demeanor, even though his role was also supposed to be controversial, as well as Xander's. Overall, the book was an entertaining read, and there were parts of it that I did love, but it did feel melodramatic and stretched out. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series, but this book was by no means a completely unpleasant experience.

I read this book when I was in middle school, and I loved it then. I think it's a wonderful fantasy read with a story told in multiple points of view. The story follows a girl named Luna, who is raised by a witch, and Antain who is trying to hint the witch. Luna was accidentally fed moonlight by the witch, which gives her magical abilities. As she grows older, Luna struggles to contain and control these powers. I think the story is touching and a makes it a good coming of age book about love and self-discovery.

I would say I enjoyed this book. It's about a small group of people, but mainly a young Nick Carraway and a Jay Gatsby. One thing I like about the book is the complex relationships across the characters. Their interactions with each other as the story progresses become more interesting as you learn more. There were some parts during the reading when I got confused by the plot, but that was probably just me. I also feel that towards the end, the plot moves way quicker and intensifies in drama. I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it because it's just a classic American novel.

This book is a good resource historically. Hosseini's writing provides a good perspective of what it's like to have lived in Afghanistan. The story itself is interesting. There is plenty of text to analyze about the struggles of an impending war, which I think is good to gain understanding from other cultures. However, I found that there were some scenes throughout the book that were unnecessary. They were a part of the story but went into extreme detail that made me uncomfortable and covered very mature topics. Overall, I give this a three. It's not bad, just not my cup of tea, so I wouldn't be recommending it to someone myself.

This book was definitely interesting to read. I didn't exactly dislike it but it wasn't my favorite book ever. The book is about a dystopian world with a special act that lets people "unwind" their teenagers. This process involves repurposing their organs and body parts, donating them to people in need and justified this as the life doesn't really end. It's the premise of the book and brings up some heartbreaking scenes to read. In my opinion the plot isn't bad. It's about three teens that come together to try and escape being unwound. What I like about it is that it's a powerful adventure and there's a lot of unique characters. Even though it wasn't my favorite book I've read, I don't think it a waste of time and would recommend it to those who enjoy science fiction and action.

After reading Gary Paulsen’s other Hatchet books, I knew I had to read The River. The story is simple: Brian has been rescued from the horrors of the wilderness, with scars to prove them; but a group of men who want to educate people on nature survival are asking him to travel back to the desolate Canadian Forests! Read as a simple, and seemingly safe, plan falters and leaves Brian back in the wild, alone. His only hope: to raft down a river and hope for somebody to rescue him.
Although this novel gives off a less tense survival vibe, it is certainly still entertaining. I would certainly recommend this entire series to anyone who loves a good nature book with a twist. The River: A Hatchet Adventure, is worthwhile. Read and submerse yourself in a survival book of hardships and adventure!

Gary Paulsen has done it again in his fifth and final Hatchet series book. Brian is back in the comfort of the Canadian wilderness, and he has promised to visit a native hunting family on his venture back into the forests. However, his trip turns into a massacre when Brian arrives to a horrific scene. Brian must claim vengeance over whoever, or whatever did this. Join Brian on his hunt in another excellent adventure from Gray Paulsen. This book is yet another wilderness hit! Totally recommended to anyone who loves a good nature book.

He has finally done it: Brian survived the terrors of nature and has finally returned to his home town in New York. Everything is better now, or is it? Is city life as wonderful as Brian dreamed it to be while stuck in the middle of the Canadian Forests? Or has Brian become part of nature? To find out, read the third book in the Hatchet series, Brian’s Return.

I knew that I had to read this book after completing Gary Paulsen’s previous two books in the series. Brian kept growing on me the more I read, and I couldn’t get enough of Gray Paulsen’s descriptive writing. Although this book holds less of Brian’s wilderness struggles, Brian now encounters a whole different kind of hardship. I completely suggest this book to any wilderness lovers out there!

When I finished reading Gary Paulsen’s initial book to the series, Brian’s Winter was on my list. The novel twists the first book, Hatchet, with an alternate ending! Brian now remains stranded in the Canadian Wilderness, but here’s the catch: in order for Brian to survive, he must endure Canada’s brutal winters. Can Brian get lucky enough to survive yet another season in the wild, or will he succumb to the sheer power of Mother Nature? Find out by reading Gary Paulsen’s Brian’s Winter.

Really good book! Ty loves to swim in the ocean, but he knows that dangerous things lurk under the surface. He comes from a subsea farm, and he’s ready to face anything. Except an entire underwater township that’s connected to a sunken airplane. It’s a clue in a mystery that has killed hundreds of people, and threatens to claim his and his friend, Gemma. Ty and Gemma are in a race for their lives, and have to deal with outlaws, officers and other dangerous people. Can Ty and Gemma save everyone in time?

Pretty good, but the ending is not what I would have liked. Morgan is an introvert. And she’s a lesbian. Ever since her dad left the family, things have been getting tense between her and her mother and her brother. So one night, after a big fight, she goes down to the rocks. She slips and falls into the ocean, almost drowning. A silky rescues her, and Morgan is convinced that it is a near death experience when she kisses her. But when Kelpie shows up the next day with human legs, things get awkward.

An amazing book, including mystery, psychology, and self identity. Hannah Gold isn’t crazy, right? Over the summer, she went to early college classes, where she met her new best friend, Agnes Smith. But one night, when they were playing truth or dare, Agnes fell. Off the window ledge of a second story room. Hannah is sure she didn’t push her, but she remembers it clearly, right? Hannah is moved under psychological observation, under the care of doctor Lightfoot. She spends a lot of time in the mental hospital, and makes a NEW best friend, Lucy. But one day, Lucy disappears.

Really, really good! Neil Gaiman is an awesome storyteller, and the tale flows great. Really good pace, and some mysteries still left unsolved for the reader to figure out. Nobody Owens’ family was killed when he was a baby. He was adopted by ghosts, and Silas chose to be his guardian. This book is a tale of how Bod (with a D), grew up, his adventures and his friends, all along weaving a story of betrayal and murder into the background. Amazing Book.

Ten strangers, all holding secrets are invited to an island together. No one knows the man that invited them and soon they will all reveal that they are trapped there. They will have to find creative approaches to make sense of what will happen on that island before all of them are gone. And Then There Were None by world-renowned author Agatha Christie is another great murder mystery. Throughout the entire book you will be thinking of who the murderer is, and every twist and turn will put you on the edge of your seat. This is an amazing book and murder mystery lovers would really enjoy this book.

Katniss lives in an unfair society; the poor and unfortunate people are famished and weak and must work for the rich to supply them of all their needs. Every part of the country was split into districts apart from the Capitol, where the rich people resided. Each district had a job and must also supply two random tributes to the Capitol for the annual hunger games. The hunger games started after the districts were made because of a large uprising that caused a war amongst the districts and the capitol. The hunger games was a competition made for the Capitols enjoyment to get a message to the districts. The two tributes from each district would have to fight to the death with the other districts in a large arena until only one survivor remained. Unfortunately, at the reaping (where they pick the tributes) Katniss’ sister was called, what with Katniss do, will she be able to help?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is an amazing novel. The book is incredibly thrilling and keeps you on your toes. However, even though it is very action packed it also makes you think, and the book is filled with a rich history and thought-out lore. Each character is unique and has different insights and opinions regarding the place they live in. I believe that Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games is a perfect dystopian novel and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read it.

I chose this book because the cover page is beautiful and the premise sounded interesting; I was not disappointed. A slight twist on the beloved fairy tale of sleeping beauty. After the evil fairy arrives to curse Miriam's younger sister Aurora, Miriam becomes Aurora's protector, and Miriam, along with some of her friends, begin training to both protect Aurora on the battle field and against magical forces as Aurora grows. The plot is unique, fast paced, and very interesting! I also enjoyed exploring the magic system Miriam is learning to work with, and I felt a connection to the main characters that Miriam works with.

However the main drawback for me was the writing style. Instead of allowing me to become part of the story, it almost pulled me out of it with how choppy I felt the writing was. The only reason I wanted to read the story was because of the plot. I do understand that the writing style could be geared towards a more younger audience, and if you don't mind writing that isn't super poetic or smooth, but rather has an interesting plot, I would recommend this book to you!

This book was weird.
It felt like a windstorm of ideas blowing in my face; a mad prophet's ravings before catastrophe, and a tangled mess of actions and consequences - but somehow they all connected together? It was a bit of an experience.
Grasshopper Jungle is a story about the end of the world, but like many teen novels, it is simply a backdrop to Austin's personal dramas. One of its tags on Libby is "humor" but I think it's more of a tragedy if anything. The main character and his best friend inadvertently bring about an apocalypse by way of 6-foot tall, ravenous grasshoppers after accidentally breaking a jar they really shouldn't have broken.
The book weaves together the stories of Austin, his childhood experiences, as well as those of his brother, Polish ancestor, the mutant grasshoppers, and random strangers around town (such as his principal, his friend's mom's boyfriend, and a vulgar policeman being memorable ones). It's a lot.
I found this story's distinctive style very difficult to tear myself away from. It was authentic to the protagonist's personality, and it reminded me of the narration of classic epics. It stands out in its themes of memory, religious trauma, sexuality, and identity (and somehow being an apocalyptic story as well). The symbolism was uncanny, and the way the outside world and past timelines mirrored Austin's mental state was very artistic and unique.
Onto my criticisms and confusions: #1 has to be the male characters. I think that every single male character in this story thinks constantly about every other character in a grossly objectifying way. Honestly though, this applies to most of the female characters as well, who are just as lustfully self-interested. Very interesting, but it was a... strange experience to read the nuanced and morally grey portrayal of Austin's ancestor, a gay man who had not-consensual relations with a woman to see if he could "love" anyone other than his dead Communist lover.
Austin himself relates to this ancestor because he, too, is "confused". His gay best friend Robby continually makes advances on Austin, and Austin reciprocates because he is completely in love with Robby. He is also in love with his girlfriend, who doesn't take too kindly to the fact that Austin has kissed Robby during their relationship. Austin even documents the POV of the murderous, bi-curious, mutant grasshoppers.
The ending was extremely abrupt. I'll admit, I was glued to this book for the last quarter, and the ending made me stand up and think "what in the world did I just read". However, in all honesty, it very much suited the style of the book. It never deviates from being a chronicle of the end of the world, and the world around Austin certainly comes crashing down.
Grasshopper Jungle is a weird book that made me think, and I don't regret reading it. It is quite graphic, but if you're interested in this swarm of a book, I highly recommend reading it and forming your own opinion. I might read the sequel, but I'm a bit afraid of what it might hold.

When I had initially read this book I had given it five stars, but now that I look back, it definitely got knocked down to a four.
Feyre, a human, ends up killing a wolf and is taken away by a fae for retribution. This book was supposedly a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it did not seem like it, at all. I did like the concept of the book, but some of the characters are so unlikeable I was confused with the motives behind their actions. That kind of made it hard to enjoy some of the plotlines. This book was a lot of world building, which I enjoyed, but it does not pick up until closer to the end. I did overall like this book and I think it is worth picking up.

I really liked the concept behind this book—it felt unique and pulled me into a genre I don’t usually read. The story follows 17-year-old Cassie Hobbes, who gets recruited into a special FBI program made up of gifted teens, each with their own talents that help solve crimes.
I thought this was a good strong introduction to the series and the characters. I really liked the team dynamic and how each character brought something different to the table. Their interactions were interesting to read and made reading more enjoyable.
That said, there were moments when the writing felt a little dramatic and some plot points came together too neatly, like everything just worked out a little too perfectly. It made certain scenes feel less believable, even though the overall story was still really engaging.
I did however enjoy the twists. Even when I had some suspicions, I was still surprised, and those moments definitely added to the excitement. I'm curious to see how the story and characters develop in the next books.

I read this book's Spanish translation, something I don't often do because many translations are disorienting from bad word choice and tonal shift. However, I really enjoyed this particular translation! It was poetic and had good flow. It's hard to find good books in Spanish just because of their relative scarcity, so I'm glad that PPLD has this one, and I hope they can continue to increase their collection of books in other languages.
This book is a coming of age story about Piedad "Piddy" Sanchez, a 16 year old girl in New York who switches high schools after she and her mom move away from their old apartment. At her new school, she is severely bullied by Yaqui Delgado, a classmate who lives in a bad neighborhood and thinks Piddy is stuck up and "a fox". During this time, she must deal with her changing body, growing apart from an old friend, getting along with her mother, and other problems.
My favorite part of this book was Piddy herself. She wasn't a perfect protagonist who always made the perfect, most logical choice. She also wasn't a character who was unreasonable simply for dramatic effect. She felt like a real person, and her motivations, struggles, and choices always made sense for her character. I admired her resilience and values. Despite touching on themes such as sexism and poverty, the book doesn't go as incredibly in depth on them as the themes of abuse, family, and hope. However, it makes sense because this book is, at the forefront, a story about Piddy and what she discovers about herself in the face of challenge.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a classic coming-of-age story with an interesting, relatable protagonist, and I especially recommend the Spanish translation for anyone struggling to find captivating stories in Spanish.

I am in shock from reading this book. So many questions from both the original trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes were answered. I saw an analogy, where the original trilogy are the middle pieces of a puzzle, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the corners and Sunrise on the Reaping is the edges. I could not agree more, the way they are all perfectly balanced on each other and with Sunrise on the Reaping, Collins paints a whole new picture that really makes you question the whole series.

This book follows Haymitch Abernathy and his story with the 50th Hunger Games. The writing style changes and reflects with each character in the different books, being able to see Haymitch's thoughts and the things that happen which gives a better insight into why he acted in the original trilogy. I loved this book and it is five stars without a doubt.

Reviewer Grade: 11

As the final book in the series, Throne of Glass, I am in shock of how far the series has progressed. Kingdom of Ash is a spectacular ending to a series that is very well written. At almost 1000 pages long, Kingdom of Ash is truly an ending worthy of the story. Everything has come back in a full circle movement that leaves the reader guessing what will happen next. Aelin Galathynius, her cadre, and her allies at last face off against the enemy as the last way to protect her home kingdom of Terrasen. There are so many different plotlines that connect back to eachother and show how Maas was a mastermind with every single moment in all 8 books. While I loved all the moments in the book, it was a very long book and I believe it did draw out to a point where I just wanted to finish the book.

I am in shock from reading this book. So many questions from both the original triology and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes were answered. I saw an analogy, where the original trilogy are the middle pieces of a puzzle, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the corners and Sunrise on the Reaping is the edges. I could not agree more, the way they are all perfectly balanced on eachother and with Sunrise on the Reaping, Collins paints a whole new picture that really makes you question the whole series.
This book follows Haymitch Abernathy and his story with the 50th Hunger Games. The writing style changes and reflects with each character in the different books, being able to see Haymitch's thoughts and the things that happen which gives a better insight into why he acted in the original trilogy. I loved this book and is five starts without a doubt.

I really enjoyed reading this book! Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is a classic novel that everyone knows. It's a tale about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, and how he creates life. Except it's made from body parts. What I liked about reading this is that this is the original. Young readers don't really know about all the other complex parts of the story. It was so interesting to read and learn about a narrative I never knew before. More on the plot, it's about how Victor creates a creature and then the seemingly endless and terrifying consequences.
However, this book is incredibly hard to read. The old way it's written makes it easier to get lost or not completely understand what happened. There's a lot of words I had to look up, but the context also helps decipher it. One of my favorite parts of the book is the building suspense. Ultimately, I think this book has so much beauty, because of all the emotions I had while reading it and the message it carries about human nature.